Equilibrium
by Kawzen
Summary: ... New kingdoms can be created with the wave of a brushstroke, Byakkoseikun. And they can be destroyed just as easily. This, you must always keep in mind.”
1. A Fragile Teetering

**Equilibrium**

**00. A Fragile Teetering **

The heavens reeked of impending discord.

Instead of allowing himself to pace – out of fear of showing intimidation – Byakko contented his fidgeting self by licking the edge of his metal _bugnuk_, tasting the sharp edge of the blade, all while continuing to eye the two, newly-awakened gods with an air of distrust. Unlike Genbu and Suzaku who supposedly had better things to do with their time, he shared Seiryuu's views concerning _their_ sudden arrival, one that could be interpreted as a hostile take over.

"We talked about these changes sixteen centuries prior, Byakkoseikun." The unicorn god, Kirin reminded nonchalantly, "You, as our brother must keep true to your word."

There was a tense silence as the tiger god paused to study the two Kris that were sheathed behind Kirin's back, the blades taunting him with gleaming sharpness. Finally, he said, "I cannot hand over the Cardinal Point to you. It is madness. The _Miko_ has already been chosen. The _Shichiseishi_ already gathered. Heavens above! The Gateway has already been sealed! What more is there to be done!"

"An eye for an eye, Byakkoseikun. Besides, was it not you who was too weak to even give what his Priestess requested? It is my- no- _our_ turn to take hold of the scrolls. You must not get in the way of fate."

"But what if this fate is misleading?" It was Seiryuu who had posted the question, one that silenced both rulers of the Cardinal Point of the West, "Remember that we were borne out of the collective subconscious of generations long past. What may have been truth eons before may not hold much substance now."

Byakko glanced at him only for a split second, right before returning his glare to Kirin. "The question that Seiryuuseikun poses is plausible." He snarled, all too harshly.

From the corner, a figured swathed in a grey cloak balanced a crescent scythe lazily in one hand, all while looking at all three of them with mild disinterest. He waited for the inevitably overwrought pause right before walking up to dig his blade into the ground, creating a perfectly symmetrical division between both Byakko and Kirin.

"Balance must be maintained." Panguseikun finally said, breaking his silence. The two other gods, Suzaku and Genbu nodded in conformity, suddenly making their presence felt, as well as making Byakko twitch uncomfortably. "If you do not wish to hand over your rule of Sailo to Kirinseikun then that can be arranged. New kingdoms can be created with the wave of a brushstroke, Byakkoseikun. And they can be destroyed just as easily. This, you must always keep in mind."

"But it is not under your discretion to change what has been written!" Byakko protested weakly. He already knew that he was on the losing side of the argument, but he refused to go down so easily. His role was that of Protector and Preserver and it was a role that he would hold until the day that the people had erased him from their memory.

Pangu licked his lips thoughtfully, already knowing the answer even before the flimsy reply was posted. Finally, he looked towards the deity seated in the corner, enveloped in quiet meditation.

"Taiitsukun." He said, his tone of voice calm yet compelling.

Her eyes fluttered open almost immediately; fathomless, black pupils holding the mysteries of a thousand and more universes in her gaze.

"Your decision, o Wise One."

The feminine voice that replied was unearthly yet soothing, as well as carrying a regal tone, "What has been agreed upon must be acted out, regardless of what has been said today, My Lord."

"Then let it be done, o Wise One."

And kowtowing once in accord, she disappeared, fragments of her robe tails fluttering momentarily in the imaginary breeze.


	2. Tilt and Snap

**Equilibrium**

**01. Tilt and Snap**

_"The fish swallowed a man; this proved to be its undoing. Man is thoroughly indigestible." –Virginia R. Moreno_

_---_

It took two rings for the answering machine to finally play, along with a bit of static, "You've reached the Kajiwara residence. Leave a message after the beep and I **swear** that I'll get back to you."

"Hello? Hello, Tetsuya? It's Keisuke. Yeah. I was just wondering if we were still going to Shibuya for the Para Para Paradise showdown on Friday. I'd have to sneak out of the house before Miaka arrives, ok? Just-"

"Hello?" With a towel still draped over his shoulder, Tetsuya had emerged from the bathroom and picked up the receiver. "Yeah, Keisuke. Hi… Yeah, we're still on for Friday. I'm surprised you didn't pass by earlier. Nanae was just here."

"Nanae? Oh! Oh yeah… Say hi to her for me, ok? Now, about Friday-"

Cutting him off again, Tetsuya rolled his eyes and snorted, "You didn't know she was here, did you? Gods, and with that storm brewing like it's nobody's business…"

"Hey, hey. She can handle herself, alright? 'Sides. She's been really busy lately." Keisuke Yuuki reassured. Truth be told was that he hadn't really seen her in weeks, not that he was surprised. She always had this innate ability to disappear whenever she wanted.

"…Wait… So who's bringing her home?"

---

"It's the beginning of the end,"

This, she had worded to herself prophetically, disillusioned even as she took that first, daunting step out of the condominium and out into the harsh weather that post autumn had to offer. Immediately the rain beat down on her coal black trench coat in violent welcome, the strong winds trumpeting in morbid escort. It was symbolic and she knew it, and hated herself for knowing what it all meant. Rushing down the pebbled steps of the Elysium Century Grand Suites and towards a gleaming black SUV, she muttered a quick "thank you," to the guard as he allowed the car door to swing open for her.

"Raining cats and dogs again, 'Nae?" The young man who sat in the driver's seat ruffled his short, tangled auburn hair in the rearview mirror, inconspicuously moved the glass just enough to catch sight of her as she shook herself out of her wet coat. He gulped uneasily and cleared his throat the moment that his gaze accidentally met hers. "I was surprised that you called."

There was a pause as she chose to steady the stack of hardbound books that she had deposited onto the dashboard before finally, and brusquely replying, "I suppose that you were expecting me to call Keisuke first?"

The retort had caught him off-guard but he smiled none the less, being careful enough to remind her, "He _is_ your boyfriend."

"So I've been told." And just like that, she was suddenly, acutely aware of the diagonal scar that traced over her left eyelid, and the grey cloth eye patch that hid it from the rest of the world. She wanted to think that inching herself out of the stagnant, two-year old liaison with Keisuke Yuuki wasn't anything personal. She still cared for him a great deal, just not, well… _Love._ Besides, wasn't it he himself who said that, 'You don't have to stay with me on account of the accident, 'Nae.' And yet, she knew very well who she'd be walking out for, and it was the same person who had truthfully said that relationships were 'just not his thing'.

"Would you rather that I had said something else then?" When she didn't answer, he turned to watch as she immersed herself in another reverie, barely noticing how his own stern features suddenly relaxed in the dim car light. "Hey. No going off to Neverland on such short notice." He then said, kidding. He never enjoyed serious conversations, and with good reason. For one thing, it was hard to tell where they'd lead to. "You sure you've got everything? Y'know, I wouldn't want to rear my ugly head at Tet-chan's place just to be told off for hanging around you too much."

He was surprised when her immediate reaction was, "So what did you have for breakfast?"

"Day old pizza which my father accidentally smeared maple syrup on. Apparently he thought we were having pancakes." It was only when he saw her lips crack a smile that he allowed the vehicle to pull away from the sidewalk. Truth be told, Hakuei Uchida was never the type to find a bookworm interesting. In fact, it was the farthest thing from his usual type – Sleek, Caucasian, clueless, and easily replaceable. Still, Keisuke's girl – no. Nanae, (she deserved her own identity) – amused him a great deal. It was a fact that he attributed to their immediate closeness since their introduction (since he had a car and she had places to go; since she had an absentee boyfriend and he wouldn't be caught dead in a serious relationship, which made her safe ground - and that's what friends were for). Even though it was only lately that he actually began calling her by her first name. "Planning to gouge your eyes out with those?"

"What? No." The absent-minded reply was more than just another way for her to avoid the verbal cheap shot. "I told Tetsuya that I'd be doing my thesis on the history of the Japanese bestiary. I figured that if I finished it now then I'd be able to slack off earlier."

He took the time to note the backless, Mandarin-collared blouse that she wore before taking another crack, "Speaking of slacking off, princess, will I be dropping you off at home or Shinjuku? Since you definitely seemed dressed for a rave party."

"Home. Keisuke cancelled at the last minute, as usual." _Princess, eh?_ The nickname alone made her twitch. It was Tetsuya Kajiwara who had unconsciously branded her an 'Ice Queen', however Hakuei had modified the term in such a way that it was the most derogatory thing that she had ever heard in her life.

When the uneasy silence fell over them once more, he slipped out of it by saying, "So, about this Japanese beasty topic?"

"Bestiary." She immediately corrected.

It was a reaction that made him laugh in spite of himself. He knew that it was like second nature to her to be officious, and try as he may, he found to be one of her more endearing traits. When she didn't add anything else, he then said, "Alright. So why don't you read me an excerpt or somethin'? Coz I swear, I have no idea what the hell you're talking about."

She was vaguely aware of how he tried to show interest in what she did, which she appreciated but didn't really require. Still, he was a boy, and that was about as close as any male could get to caring. Reaching towards the dashboard, she yanked out what seemed to be the oldest book in the stack and opened it just as they reached a stoplight

"Hold on. My Mandarin's rusty..." She warned, clearing her throat, "This is the story of a girl who gathered the Shichi Seishi of Pangu, and acquired the power to make every wish come true..." _What the?_

"Alright. You've gotten my attention. Go on."

"The story itself is an incantation. Whoever finishes the book shall receive this power. As soon as the page is turned, the story will become the truth and begin..." She paused, looking at him, suddenly, painfully aware of her surroundings. Every sound seemed to be multiplied to such a magnitude that she couldn't ignore them. She could here the rain as it beat down on the windshields, the steady purring of the engine, his breathing- Her heartbeat. "I think I got a different book by mistake. Maybe a story book. I'll go get another one…"

"No, no, come on. By all means. The weather's horrible anyway." He looked at her and gave a boyish wink, his hand giving hers a short but firm squeeze. "Besides, I haven't heard a good story in ages."

It was this gesture that somehow reassured her. He was prone to doing those things. Things like kissing her on the cheek while they were in public, or hugging her from behind while they were in a music store. It confused her to no end, but at the same time it gave her a strange, childish, lovesick feeling. "Stoplight's green." She pointed out.

"Fucking rain." He could barely see past the windshields. As the car geared forward once more, he was suddenly, vaguely aware of a loud honking sound. "So, where were we?"

"Hmm… Hakuei?" Shifting in her seat, she let her finger tips slide over the book's spine uncomfortably. There was something that seemed wrong. She just couldn't place her finger on it. And then, looking up, just like that, she knew. Shielding her eyes, from the oncoming vehicle's headlights, she barely noticed as the book fell to the floor with a soft thud.

---

She was lost.

Lost and absolutely, positively weightless. It was as if she was submerged in water, save that she couldn't feel the drowning, choking feeling that came along with that simile. And then somewhere there- Somewhere within that split second between now and eternity, she felt the tense silence, and fierce, overpowering darkness. It was as if she was drifting in a void. And there was nothing else save…

Something grey, dangling in the farthest regions of that void, something that she just _knew_ that she could reach for. She wanted to call towards it, scream for it, and summon it towards her. But her voice was only swallowed by darkness.

And then, out of nowhere, a sound as clear as daybreak just came to her.

_Priestess._

Then everything moved.

---

Swerving dangerously, the SUV grazed the front of the Ford Expedition, sending itself into a violent whirling motion, right before crashing into a fire hydrant, making more water flood into the streets. Both front doors popped open as it hit the hydrant. Within seconds, bystanders ran towards the vehicle, completely ignoring the rain in an attempt to save anyone who may have been injured and/or bleeding. Surprisingly, the moment they reached the car, the only thing that welcomed them was a stack of books.

---

"'Nae?" His mouth tasted of sand. Spitting once, he forced himself to sit up, his neck suddenly feeling the impact of the earlier collision. He glanced at the figure curled up in his arms, nudging her into consciousness right before he chose to stand up. The next thing that he saw made him blink profusely.

Hakuei slapped himself to make sure that he was seeing the right thing. And even when he felt that raw sting on his cheek, he still couldn't make himself believe it. He was standing on the shores of a grey sanded beach, with a wall looming over him like a foreboding giant.

"Dear Gods..." He stammered, right before helping Nanae up to her feet, "Where the hell are we?"


End file.
